All sorted with liquorice
Wednesday 01 April 2009
You could soon be all sorted in tackling cancer according to sweet new research.
Studies - carried out by Vanderbilt University Medical Centre in Nashville - discovered that LIQUORICE could offer a new way of tackling bowel cancer.
Dr Raymond Harris who was leading the research said; “We found that a chemical component of liquorice may offer a new approach to preventing it, without the adverse side effects of other preventative therapies.”
Scientists targeted an enzyme that is thought to play a vital role in bowel cancer growth.
The researchers blocked the enzyme in mice predisposed to the disease using glycyrrhizic acid (the sweet-tasting component of liquorice!)
They found that this prevented the development of polyps and stopped the progression of cancer.
Love it or hate it, we’ve discovered a newfound love for liquorice. So much so, we decided to look into its healthy characteristics and admire its truly marvellous benefits.
Oh – and we popped all the details below for you….
P.S. Closer readers: The health benefits we’re suggesting here are put together with the natural root liquorice in mind – not so much liquorice Allsorts.
Just thought we’d point that one out before you guzzle a bag of Bassets!
* Liquorice stimulates the body’s defences to prevent the formation of ulcers. According to studies, there is a 91% success in the treatment of stomach ulcers by using liquorice.
* Liquorice is the second most prescribed herb in China, where it is suggested for treatment of the spleen, liver and kidney.
* As an anti-heptotoxic, liquorice is used in preparation to treat hepatitis – widely used in Japan.
* The most common medical use for liquorice is for treating upper respiratory ailments including coughs, hoarseness, sore throats and bronchitis.
* Liquorice also improves complexion, hair, and vision.
By Tasha Usefnia